Call me Ringo. That's what the former Beatles drummer says when asked if we should call him Sir.
He joins us at the swanky Sunset Marquis hotel in West Hollywood where rock stars have gathered for decades in a luxury oasis behind the Sunset Strip.
We're here to talk music – specifically Ringo Starr's new country album, Long Long Road. But first we deal with the honorifics because although he was knighted in 2018 for his services to music, technically, he says, it's wrong to call him Sir Ringo because he's actually Sir Richard.
Sir Richard laughs. He just wants to talk music, and he's not worried about formalities or titles. His new album is more Nashville than Los Angeles and he seems more LA than Liverpool as he encourages an American interviewing a British national treasure for the BBC to just relax.
Peace and love, he says, a soothing catchphrase often used by the 85-year-old music legend who looks, moves and sings like a much younger man.
I've always loved the attitude of LA, he says, adding that he's had a home here since the 1970s. Besides, I love the heat and the light, it's just been a good place for me.
On his new country album, Starr collaborates with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Billy Strings and St Vincent. And he says that's the way he likes it. He never plays music alone, not even to practice.
That's how I did it. I made all my mistakes on stage, he says. Before joining The Beatles, he says he was practicing drums alone as a kid, and the neighbors complained, yelling at him to shut up.
I think that's what did it, he says laughing, adding that he tells all his grandchildren to stop practicing music alone and to get together and join a band. If you play piano, bass, saxophone, I will play with you all night, he says. Get with people.
For Long Long Road, Starr teamed up with legendary producer T Bone Burnett, and they co-wrote the album while recording in Los Angeles and Nashville. And because they're recording in Nashville, they just pop in to play. It's great.
Starr expresses his appreciation for current country music trends, noting that even Beyoncé is making waves in the genre. He reminisces about his initial exposure to country music back in Liverpool, which he claims was the capital of country music in England.
As the conversation meanders through Starr's early days, we learn of his path from the factory expectations after school to a profound life in music. Despite his breakout with The Beatles, he only wrote two songs during that time, including the country-tinged Don't Pass Me By.
Now, with new collaborations and a blend of influences from his storied career, Ringo remains a vibrant figure in music, evoking laughter and wisdom as he continues his journey on stage and off. He'll soon take his new album on tour in the western US, maintaining the playful spirit that has defined his legendary reputation.
He joins us at the swanky Sunset Marquis hotel in West Hollywood where rock stars have gathered for decades in a luxury oasis behind the Sunset Strip.
We're here to talk music – specifically Ringo Starr's new country album, Long Long Road. But first we deal with the honorifics because although he was knighted in 2018 for his services to music, technically, he says, it's wrong to call him Sir Ringo because he's actually Sir Richard.
Sir Richard laughs. He just wants to talk music, and he's not worried about formalities or titles. His new album is more Nashville than Los Angeles and he seems more LA than Liverpool as he encourages an American interviewing a British national treasure for the BBC to just relax.
Peace and love, he says, a soothing catchphrase often used by the 85-year-old music legend who looks, moves and sings like a much younger man.
I've always loved the attitude of LA, he says, adding that he's had a home here since the 1970s. Besides, I love the heat and the light, it's just been a good place for me.
On his new country album, Starr collaborates with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Billy Strings and St Vincent. And he says that's the way he likes it. He never plays music alone, not even to practice.
That's how I did it. I made all my mistakes on stage, he says. Before joining The Beatles, he says he was practicing drums alone as a kid, and the neighbors complained, yelling at him to shut up.
I think that's what did it, he says laughing, adding that he tells all his grandchildren to stop practicing music alone and to get together and join a band. If you play piano, bass, saxophone, I will play with you all night, he says. Get with people.
For Long Long Road, Starr teamed up with legendary producer T Bone Burnett, and they co-wrote the album while recording in Los Angeles and Nashville. And because they're recording in Nashville, they just pop in to play. It's great.
Starr expresses his appreciation for current country music trends, noting that even Beyoncé is making waves in the genre. He reminisces about his initial exposure to country music back in Liverpool, which he claims was the capital of country music in England.
As the conversation meanders through Starr's early days, we learn of his path from the factory expectations after school to a profound life in music. Despite his breakout with The Beatles, he only wrote two songs during that time, including the country-tinged Don't Pass Me By.
Now, with new collaborations and a blend of influences from his storied career, Ringo remains a vibrant figure in music, evoking laughter and wisdom as he continues his journey on stage and off. He'll soon take his new album on tour in the western US, maintaining the playful spirit that has defined his legendary reputation.
